Article

The Open: Rahm has all the makings of an Open champion - Norman

Greg Norman thinks Jon Rahm could be the man to continue the sequence of first-time major winners at The Open next weekend.

Brooks Koepka became the seventh successive man to claim a maiden major when he was crowned U.S. Open champion at Erin Hills last month.

Rahm is among the favourites to get his hands on the Claret Jug after demonstrating his credentials by blowing away the field to win the Irish Open by six strokes, finishing a tournament-record 24 under.

Two-time Open winner Norman believes the Spaniard can further enhance his burgeoning reputation by landing the biggest prize of his career at Royal Birkdale.

The Australian great told Omnisport: "Absolutely he can win it. He's won on a links golf course and the way he goes about his game is very impressive.

"He seems like he's just aggressive all the time, he's got a huge amount of confidence in his own ability, so there's no reason why he shouldn't be at the top of the heap when you are looking for a potential Open champion.

"He's putting in some very solid performances. I think everybody should be sitting back and taking notice of him. He's most definitely on the radar."

Norman would not be surprised to see another player join the list of major-winners due to a combination of the quality of emerging talent and the inconsistency of some of the leading lights.

He added: "Watching what has happened with golf of late, the confidence and surge of the younger generation, such as Jon Rahm, and the stagnation to some degree of the top players – like Rory [McIlroy], Adam Scott and Jason Day, for example – I believe there could be another first-time winner.

"DJ [Dustin Johnson] has found himself in a little bit of a different place to what he has been used to of late. That is not to say none of those guys can turn things around.

"Jordan Spieth has got a good opportunity as he seems to be on a consistently high level week in, week out.

"Then again, this is Royal Birkdale and the British Open is the British Open. A bad bounce here and there can completely change things with the complexity of the events."

- For more information about Greg Norman and the Greg Norman Company please visit www.shark.com.